RDO counters misleading claims of Spanish timeshare industry collapse

The Resort Development Organisation (RDO) has responded to a statement issued by Claims Directive claiming that “the timeshare industry in Spain is set to collapse” with strong arguments that demonstrate the health of the industry not only in Spain, but in the whole of Europe and in the US.

The assertions made by Claims Directive, a company that claims to “offer timeshare advice and compensation claims” for owners in Spain, “are incorrect and misleading”, according to RDO. A recent study carried out by The Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute of the Nottingham University Business School on behalf of RDO showed that European timeshare is in fact a thriving industry with a loyal and satisfied clientele.

In its official response, available on www.rdo.org, RDO states that “there are categorically not ‘200 live claims for timeshare miss-selling against Anfi Del Mar’ (as Claims Directive said). In fact, only 3 court rulings have been made, one in favour of ANFI Group and in the other 2 cases, it has not been proved that Anfi took deposits directly in connection to the timeshare sales.” RDO clarifies that Spanish law only prohibits deposits taken between the purchaser and the seller.

RDO also explains that Claims Directive is linked to companies acting as Class Actions in Gran Canaria and to a holiday club called Voyager. RDO considers holiday clubs to be one of the biggest threats to the reputation of timeshare. The Spanish European Consumer Centre in Madrid received 700 formal complaints about holiday clubs in the Canaries between 2005 and 2007.

RDO’s Enforcement team has long been campaigning against the fraudulent activities of holiday clubs in the Canaries, working with the local authorities to have bogus operators shut down. In the last 18 months alone, 51 holiday clubs were forced to close.